[Reportaje] Launch a petition to establish Spanish Language Day in Canada

What motivates us is the idea of ​​promoting and preserving our language here in CanadaErica Aguilera told RCI from the Greater Toronto Area.

The co-founder of CANHE explained that among those born in Latin America and Spain and who today live in Canada, Spanish is the everyday language and has deep roots, but for the children and grandchildren of these people, this is not necessarily the case.

I work in the education sector and are co-founders [del CANHE] They are also very involved in the Spanish-speaking community. We have realized that from the second and third generation onwards, language is being lost. Boys and girls may speak it, but they do not necessarily read or write it.

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According to Aguilera, for her organization, this project goes far beyond language. It’s a matter of identity and recognition, says the Canadian of Mexican origin.

It is also a project for the social, cultural and economic development of Canada’s growing Spanish-speaking community. We want to move away from the stereotype that we are nothing more than food and parties. Recognition of our language is extremely important, not only in terms of identity, but also for what it means to be recognized as a community that contributes to Canada.

Spanish in Canada

Today, Spanish is the second most widely used language on the Internet and the third most widely used language in the world after Mandarin and English.

In Canada, according to official figures from the 2021 census, there will be 320,000 Spanish speakers, although there were 439,000 in 2016.

The truth is that official statistics exclude international students, temporary workers, and undocumented people from Spanish-speaking countries.

Canada Speaks Spanish gives a figure of 1.2 million Spanish speakers in the country.

Regardless of the number counted, it is clear that the communities of Latino Canadians have been growing over the years.

From the first waves of Spanish-speaking immigrants and refugees arriving in the 1970s from South America, to recent arrivals mainly from Colombia and Mexico, Spanish has gained ground in Canada as a language of diversity.

For Erica Aguilera, asking the Canadian government to recognize the importance of the Spanish language by dedicating a day to it is, yes, a source of pride, but above all a way to appreciate the language that is part of economic, educational and cultural activities. in Canada.

Achieving this recognition means increasing visibility on a level we have not yet reached. Determine who represents us and determine how they represent us. And even the search for political capital, and I’m not just talking in terms of pure politics, but also about citizen engagement.

To date, the petition has been submitted to the Canadian Parliament (A new window) It has collected only about 1,200 signatures, but organizers want to reach at least 10,000 signatures before a deadline set by federal agencies.

Erica Aguilera believes that in this way it can be proven that at least 1% of Spanish speakers in the country are interested in declaring April 23 as Spanish Language Day in Canada.

The petition, introduced in the House of Commons by Liberal MP Julie Dzirowicz, is available on the Parliament of Canada’s website. She is a member of the Canadian section of ParlAméricas, an organization that works to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy in the Inter-American system.